eMirror Vol 25, No. 35 (2021-08-27)

Han at Dessin-ji, Photograph by the late Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Han at Dessin-ji,
Photograph by the late Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei


eMirror Vol 25, No. 35

Friday, August 27th, 2021
Edited by the Practice Council

The White Wind Zen Community:
An international community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985.



This introduces Yunmen's expression of it.

Yunmen said, "The Old Buddha and a naked post merge. What kind of mind is this?"

Answering for the assembly, he said, "On the southern mountain, clouds gather, on the northern mountain rain falls."

The Old Buddha and a naked post merge, are associated intimately, become each other. What kind of mind is this? It is not really any particular kind of mind or state of mind. It is not "my" mind or "your" mind. It is the intimate and open mind that is open as all directions and all experiences. The old Buddha mind is the post and it is an old Buddha like Yunmen or Dogen. Nakedly seeing the post standing forth, seeing stands forth as the naked post. To know the post as it is you must know yourself as you are. You can use the post to know yourself and through this know the post as it knows itself and as the space of Knowing in which it arises knows it. And know yourself from this space. This kind of mind is what all the different kinds of minds are when they fall open past the contraction of self-image. To the south, clouds gather, while to the north, rain falls. Causes and effects, bodies and minds, mountains and rivers, are all merging and mixing.

-Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, continuing the teisho "Epilogue: The Naked Post", Saturday, April 9th, 2005, at Dainen-ji, in the series "The Primordially Awakened Way: commentaries on Eihei Dogen zenji's Kobutsushin: The Old Buddha Mind".
 


Upcoming Events



Fusatsu: 
September 8th, September 22nd.

September Two-day Sesshin
The September two-day sesshin will begin on Friday, September 10th at 8:00 p.m. and will end at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 12th. Probationary formal students and formal students are reminded to send their schedules to Saigyo ino as soon as possible.

Dogen-ki:
August 28th is Dogen-ki, the memorial of Eihei Dogen zenji's death.

Hermitage:
The Roshi is currently in an extended period of "self-isolation" due to underlying health issues until the COVID-19 situation clarifies.

Beginning Instruction in Zen Practice:
For information concerning our Long-distance Training Program, please visit this Web Page: https://wwzc.org/long-distance-training-program
 


Retreats



Rev. Chiso anagarika sat her weekly semi-retreat on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, August 22-24th at her home in Cambridge, MA. George Donovan sat a one-day retreat on Thursday, August 19th at his home in Ottawa, Ontario. Brian Lakeman sat three half-day retreats on Friday August 20th, Saturday August 21st and Sunday August 22nd at his home in Brampton, Ontario. Tracey Parker sat a one-day retreat on Saturday, August 21st at her home in Perth, Ontario. Elizabeth Eve sat a half-day retreat on Monday, August 21st at her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, it is not possible at this time to schedule retreats in the monastery. If you would like to sit a retreat at home please follow the schedule outlined in this page:  https://wwzc.org/retreat-schedule-public-students.
 


Recorded Teachings Schedule


Saturday, August 28th to Saturday, September 4th

Saturday, August 28th: "Turning the Wheel of the Way" by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin: "Hongren's Maintaining the Mind, part one" (teisho 40 of 44)
Sunday, August 29th: SAkN: Five Spheres of SAkN by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi: "4th and 5th Spheres, Everywhere and All At Once" (6 of 7)
Monday, August 30th: “Every Breath You Take” by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei: "Seeing a Twisting Road" (Dharma Talk 52)
Thursday, September 2nd: "The Touchstone 15, Ceaseless Activity" by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei
Saturday, September 4th: "Turning the Wheel of the Way” by Zen Master Anzan Hoshin:  "Hongren's Maintaining the Mind, part two" (teisho 41 of 44)
 


Listening to Teisho and Dharma Talks



​Associate and general students should continue to follow the recorded Teachings schedule for the sitting you were attending at the monastery, and listen to that during your home practice.

You can access the online Recorded Teachings Library at wwzc.org/recorded-teachings-schedule. 

You can also use the streaming site at app.wwzc.org to live stream recordings from the online Library. If you have forgotten your password or need assistance with accessing the recorded Teachings, please email schedule@wwzc.org.

Please note that teisho should be listened to in the correct order and with none missed out as themes, metaphors, questions raised and answered evolve in spirals throughout the series.

 

Photograph of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Daijozan, mid-1980s, by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei
Photograph of Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi at Daijozan, mid-1980s,
by Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei


Translations



Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi has recently completed translation work on some shorter texts by Eihei Dogen zenji from the Shobogenzo. The work on these particular texts is based upon the literal translations that he worked on with Joshu Dainen roshi at Hakukaze-ji around 1977-78 followed by many years of putting them down, picking them up, and polishing. Naturally, more essential texts such as Uji, Genjokoan, Shinjin Gakudo and some 40 others were completed first and have been given extensive commentaries by the Roshi. This batch of texts includes Baike: Plum Blossoms, Ryugin: Howling Dragon, and Udonge: The Udumbara Blossoming and many others are nearing completion. Many of these will be posted on our website over the next few months.
 


Newly-Presented Teachings



During the January 2020 Sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
          January 11th: “Rujing's Broken Broom of Mu”.
During the December 2019 Rohatsu O-sesshin, Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity, Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
          December 2nd: Rujing’s Plum Blossoms Again
          December 3rd: Rujing’s Flower for Pindola
          December 4th: Rujing’s Painting Plum Blossoms
          December 5th: Rujing’s Frogs and Worms
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi presented the following teisho during the November Sesshin, as part of the ongoing series, "The Lineage of Luminosity: Part Two: The Lineage in China”:
          November 9th: Rujing and the Old Plum Tree
 


Dharma Talk by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei Posted on the WWZC Website



Dharma Talk Presented by Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei on the occasion of receiving Inka: “Receiving the Dharma Seal: Hekiganroku Case 2: Zhaozhou’s ‘The Vast Way is Without Difficulty’”, Dainen-ji, Sogaku O-sesshin, Thursday May 20th 2021.
Read the transcript: Receiving the Seal
Listen to the recording (accessible only to students of this Lineage): Receiving the Seal
 


Recorded Teachings for Public Access



While most of the online Recorded Teachings library is password-protected and only accessible to students of Zen Master Anzan Hoshin, a small selection of MP3 recordings of teisho are accessible to the public at https://wwzc.org/recorded-teachings. Additional recordings will be uploaded periodically.

MP3 recordings of five teisho are currently available:

Dharma Position https://wwzc.org/dharma-position
Eyes See, Ears Hear https://wwzc.org/eyes-see-ears-hear
Embarrassment https://wwzc.org/embarrassment
Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi's reading of his translation of Eihei Dogen zenji's “Bendowa: A Talk on Exerting the Way” https://wwzc.org/bendowa-talk-exerting-way
 


Request for assistance with landscaping in the front garden



A large project to landscape the front gardens is underway at Dainen-ji which includes the building of several areas of rock gardens and new paths.  Much work has already been done but there is still a great deal to do, so if any students can offer time to assist with this project please write to Saigyo ino at saigyo.cross at gmail dot com. Thank you very much. 
 

 

scroll


Painted Cakes
(do not satisfy hunger)

Begun by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei
Finished by Rev. Fushin Comeau shramon following her death



Continuing on with “Painted Cakes: A Zen Dictionary” a limited edition text written by Anzan Hoshin roshi in the 1980s and last revised in 1994.

Shugyõ (J) Practice which is intense and strong.

Posted August 20th, 2021. New entries are posted every two weeks.
 

 

Monk holding up oryoki bowl


Office of the Tenzo



Dogen zenji taught in the Tenzo kyokun: Instructions for the Tenzo (https://wwzc.org/dharma-text/tenzo-kyokun-instructions-tenzo) that the work of preparing and serving meals is "a matter for realized monks who have the mind of the Way or by senior disciples who have roused the Way-seeking mind." In alignment with this, part of Zen Master Anzan Hoshin's samu for the Community involves personally overseeing the activities of the ancient office of tenzo. Ven. Jinmyo Renge sensei serves as tenzo and Mishin godo and Saigyo ino offer assistance as tenzo-anja. The following meals were prepared for residents on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Monday Yakuseki:
Thai white and brown rice; bulgogi tofu (chopped Spanish onions, red and green peppers, cubanelle and poblano peppers, chunks of deep-fried tofu in a bulgogi sauce; monastery-made baechu kimchi.

Tuesday Yakuseki:
Vegetarian chili (Beyond Meat beef ground plant-based protein, brown lentils, sauteed onions, sauteed chopped poblano, red bell pepper, cubanelle and green peppers, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato juice, Mexican chili powder, ancho powder, chipotle adobo, smoked paprika, cayenne, crushed chilis; ground beef chili (hamburger in the same sauce mentioned above for those who wished to eat meat); rolls with butter; salad of Romaine lettuce, radicchio, celery, leaf lettuce, tomatoes from the monastery roof garden, thinly sliced white onion, with a dressing made from apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and honey.

Thursday Yakuseki:
Biriyani (basmati rice, sauteed diced carrots and ‘little gem potatoes’ halved, caramelized onion, brown lentils, garam masala and madras curry powder; chilled mango soup (mango juice, vegetable juice, white onion, turmeric, salt, cayenne pepper with a drop of cream); raita (chopped cucumbers and tomatoes plain yogurt, seasoned with cardamom, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt). 
 

Monk in gassho - drawing


Thank You



If you would like to thank someone for a contribution they have made, please feel free to send an email to Jinmyo osho at rengezo at Gmail dot com, but be sure to type "eMirror" in the subject line.

From Jinmyo sensei:
Thank you to Mishin godo for a non-slip mat to prevent the foot pedal on my sewing machine from sliding around.

From Mishin godo:
Thank you to the Roshi for brushing the many sho and zenga and the stone arrangements that are all around the monastery reminding us to open to the space of seeing. Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for corresponding with many preliminary and public students and for editing the eMirror every week. Thank you to Saigyo ino for organizing the work that students are doing on the grounds to build the rock gardens. Thank you to Chantal Maheu for weekly samu to assist with WWZC bookkeeping and administration.

From Saigyo ino:
Thank you to the following students who offered samu this week and worked through the hot weather as we continue to re-landscape the front gardens: Fushin shramon, David Gallant, Sam McFarlane, Jesse Steinberg, Jean-Francois St-Louis, Shannon Morphew, Robert Carew, Neil Faught, Greg Parker, Claude Schryer, Kathleen Johnson and Alex Bourne.   

From Fushin shramon:
Thank you to Jinmyo sensei for generous offers of visits with the monastery cats living in the Sensei-ryo.

From the Office of the Treasurer:
Thank you to Adda Hernandez for a donation.
 

 

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